Excavation
Pronunciation : Ex`ca*va"tion
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [L. excavatio: cf. F. excavation.]
Definition : 1. The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
2. A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping. "A winding excavation." Glover.
3. (Engin.) (a) An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel. (b) The material dug out in making a channel or cavity. The delivery of the excavations at a distance of 250 feet. E. L. Corthell.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913